The World Sports Betting Cape Cobras have worked very hard the past week to perfect the variations and death bowling skills, as they felt their bowling were under cooked in the three-wicket loss against the Warriors in the Momentum One Day Cup opening clash.

The mood in the team is upbeat ahead of the 50-over clash with the VKB Knights at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein on Tuesday.

“We did not execute the way we should have in terms of variations with the ball when we played against the Warriors,” said Faiek Davids, assistant coach of the World Sports Betting Cape Cobras.

“Our death bowling was under cooked. Dane Paterson did not execute the way he normally executes in terms of variations and death bowling.”

Talking about the batting, he said the top-order was guilty of some soft dismissals which impacted on the eventual total.

“We are equipped in the batting order to play a touch game and a power game. If we can lay the foundations for players like Jason Smith, GF Linde and even Paterson, they can blossom and clear the boundaries,” Davids said.

Probed about the Knights, Davids said they are a good white-ball unit with bowlers like Marchant de Lange and Shadley van Schalkwyk as well as Mbulelo Budaza, while batsmen like Pite van Biljon and Keegan Petersen have the qualities to score big.

Dane Piedt, the captain, said, “We didn’t win the critical moments against the Warriors and must do it against the Knights. It also includes the fielding, which, against the Warriors, lacked the accuracy and the intensity required to win close matches.”

Zubayr Hamza, who scored 49 against the Warriors, is still in the Proteas squad and has not been released for the clash with the Knights. He is replaced by David Bedingham.

JP Duminy has not recovered fully in time for this match, whilst Simon Khomari and Mthiwekhaya Nabe also miss out on the trip due to injury.